Uhuru Abolishes Boda Boda Registration Fees

An image of boda boda riders
Boda Boda operators wait for customers at a stage.
Capital Group

The government has waived licensing fee for boda boda operators in the latest move to reform the sector.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i made the announcement during a forum held with different stakeholders and boda boda riders at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC)on Wednesday, March 9.

Matiang'i noted that the directive was issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta, a day after he announced a countrywide crackdown.

Initially, boda boda operators were required to pay Ksh5,000, but with the latest move, the exercise will be free.

Interior CS Fred Matiang'i addressing a security conference in Nairobi
Interior CS Fred Matiang'i addressing a security conference in Nairobi
Kenyans.co.ke

"President Uhuru Kenyatta has waived all that fees, you will be registered for free. NTSA will not ask for Ksh5,000, the president has said free registration," Matiang'i stated.

"This will enable them to get licenses so that the government can identify every rider with their area of operation," he added.

The CS further stated that registration will be overseen by the National Transport Safety (NTSA) and qualifying operators will be issued with new smart cards.

He stated that the registration will effectively begin from Monday, March 21 and will be done at various Huduma centers across the country.

"From March 21, in every one of our 52 Huduma centers across the country, we will begin the registration exercise where they will be required to fill a form and after registration, they will be given smart riders license," Matiang'i announced.

In further directives, Matiang'i ordered regional commissioners to hold monthly meetings to establish some of the challenges facing the sector to enable reforms.

"Effective now, the Regional Commissioner for Nairobi will be having a meeting with boda boda guys every month and get to know their challenges," Matiang'i stated during the meeting.

Matiang'i blamed political leaders for interfering with reforms in the boda boda sector noting that he had already tabulated a detailed framework to guide the entire process.

"I formed a boda boda task force but some of our political friends hijacked the recommendations and started spending negative energy on it. Our intention was to reform the sector for the good of everyone," he stated.

The latest reforms in the sector follows an incident at Forest Road involving a female motorist who was assaulted on Friday, March 4, causing uproar.

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